Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong-Washington flight the latest shot in battle for ultra-long-haul supremacy
City’s flag carrier pushes back against regional rivals’ move to take away its stopover passengers, as race to take advantage of new, more fuel-efficient aircraft hots up
Cathay Pacific Airways’ announcement of new non-stop flights to Washington has thrown it into a wider race to sate the global appetite for ultra-long-haul flying, brought on by newer, more fuel-efficient aeroplanes.
Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region are in a race to fly to the other side of the globe and claim the world’s longest flight as advanced, fuel-efficient aircraft make flying up to 18 hours possible.
The US capital will be Cathay Pacific’s seventh American destination and the 12th-longest route in the world, according to air data firm OAG Aviation.
New direct, ultra-long-haul flights would also ease Hong Kong International Airport’s – and Cathay Pacific’s – reliance on transfer passengers, according to Polytechnic University aviation professor Achim Czerny. Air tickets are traditionally heavily discounted to lure passengers to stop over in the city, instead of taking a direct flight to their final destination.